Tuesday, 10 May 2016

Cross/Needlepoint Thread

I have been very busy working in the garden which has included painting pots and furniture and generally getting the area cleared up ready for an influx of tomato plants. Very little time for tatting but manage to pick up the shuttles every now and then.So I was in Romsey today, our nearest town browsing around a charity shop looking at these threads and wondering if I could possibly tat with them. They are hand dyed and come from the USA.

At least the thread is workable for tatting, here is the proof. But still wonder what else the threads can be used for as they are so pretty but a little thick for tatting with.

Anyway whilst in the shop and deciding whether to bother with the threads I explain that I want to use them for tatting. Immediately a customer heard this and was surprised to learn that some one tats. She had never heard of anyone saying that before, she is self taught and lives in the town. So of course I gave her my e.mail and mentioned this blog, so Carol if you have found it 'hello' and nice to have met you.

Have you tried splitting the threads? If they are embroidery threads like the usual skeins, then a single strand is approximately similar to an 80 thread... If you use 2 or 3 together you'd get around a 40 thread... Try it!! I'm itching to see the results!! Shades of your sisters HWT!!! LOL If you don't want to try them... you can always send them here... VBG

Don't split them - those 'Wildflowers' threads were made to use 'as is.' The needlework shop where I used to live sold quite a lot of them to use for cross stitch and needlepoint. There may be 2 sizes, not sure. The size I tried gave results about equal to a size 10 'tatting' thread. It's not 'floss' though - more like perl cotton. They are gorgeous colors.StephanieW

What a lovely happenstance -- to have found another tatter! I too hate it when people presume tatting is a lost art. My friend and I demonstrate tatting a few times a year and we got so tired of people believing that it's dead that we made this sign: